JPH08101209A - Cuvette and cuvette conveyance apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To realize a cuvette whose conveyance is easy and which easily maintains a prescribed attitude and to realize its conveyance apparatus. CONSTITUTION: In a cuvette 1, its upper end displays a rectangular shape, a flange body 2 is formed at the lower part of its rectangular part, the outer shape of the cross section in the horizontal direction directly under the flange body 2 displays a circular shape, and the outer shape of the cross section in the horizontal direction at the lower part of its circular part displays a rectangular shape which comprises sides parallel to the rectangular part. A cuvette conveyance apparatus is provided with one pair of upper-part sandwiching and holding arms 23 which are used to sandwich and hold the rectangular part of the cuvette 1 from the horizontal direction and which are extended rectlinearly and with one pair of lower-part sandwiching and holding arms 24 which are used to sandwich and hold the circular part of the cuvette from the horizontal direction and whose sandwiching and holding parts are bent or curved toward the inside and which are extended to the horizontal direction.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cuvette in which a liquid to be measured such as a sample or a reagent can be stored when carrying out a component analysis of plasma or urine, and to carry the cuvette while defining its posture. The present invention relates to a cuvette transfer device that can be used.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional cuvettes and cuvette conveying devices are described, for example, in the specification and drawings attached to Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-25157 and Japanese Patent Application No. 5-76588.

A conventional cuvette carrier will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. 6 is a plan view and FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view.

As shown in these figures, the cuvette 1 had a cylindrical shape like a test tube, and only had a collar portion 2 formed at the upper end.

Further, the cuvette transfer device includes a chute 3 for transferring the cuvettes 1 ...
These cuvettes 1 ... Are separated by one and are slightly lifted up by a positioning device 4.

The positioner 4 is provided with a cylindrical space 5 in which a rotating body 8 having two discs 6 and 7 arranged in parallel is rotatably inserted. Has been done.

On the disks 6 and 7, three arc-shaped recesses 9 ... Are formed at equal intervals at a common position around the disks.
The recess 9 is formed such that its width is larger than the diameter of the body of the cuvette 1 and smaller than the diameter of the collar 2.

The positioning machine 4 has a motor 10 at the bottom.
Is provided, and the rotating shaft 11 of the motor 10 is fixedly installed in the lower center of the rotating body 8.
Is configured to be driven to rotate clockwise in FIG. Therefore, when the motor 10 rotates, the cuvette 1 revolves around the center of the rotating body 8 together with the disks 6 and 7.

At the outlet of the cuvette 1, a bottom guide 12 for pushing the cuvette 1 upward is provided, which is inclined upward from the lower end.
Side guides 13, 14 slidingly contacting the peripheral side of the cuvette 1.
However, it is provided at a position sandwiching the lower disc 6 from above and below.

Reference numeral 15 is a microswitch for detecting the cuvette 1, and 16 is its actuator.

The cuvettes 1, which have been continuously transferred from the chute 3 in a row, are separated and inserted one by one into the recesses 9 of the discs 6 and 7 in a horizontal direction, so that the rotating body 8 is rotated. When rotating, the cuvette 1 revolves around the center of the rotating body 8 together with the disks 6 and 7.

Then, when the cuvette 1 reaches the bottom guide 12 and the rotating body 8 further rotates, the outer bottom of the cuvette 1 slides on the bottom guide 12 and is pushed upward, but at the same time, the side guides 13 are moved. , 14 to the left (see FIG. 6), so that the discs 6 and 7 are separated from the recesses 9.

Therefore, the cuvette 1 separated from the rotating body 8 is elastically clamped by chucking fingers having an arcuate inner side and moved to a predetermined place.

[0014]

In the prior art as described above, the cuvette 1 rotates freely, so that the liquid is contained inside and the measurement light beam is transmitted from the direction intersecting the vertical axis in the use state. It was inconvenient to irradiate and measure the properties of the liquid.

That is, in order to accurately measure the amount of transmitted light passing through the inside of the cuvette 1, the surface to be irradiated with the measurement light beam needs to be flat, but the cuvette 1 has a partially flat surface. Even if formed, there is a problem in that the irradiated surface does not always match the flat surface if it is rotated during conveyance, and in such a case, there is no point in forming the flat surface.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art, and includes a cuvette that is difficult to rotate and a cuvette transport device that can control the posture of the cuvette during transport so that the irradiated surface can match the flat surface. This is something that will be realized.

[0017]

The first main invention is to measure the characteristics of the liquid by irradiating it with a measuring light beam from a direction intersecting the vertical axis line when the liquid is contained in the inside. In the transparent cuvette, the outer die of the horizontal cross section near the upper end has a rectangular shape, and the collar body is formed at the lower portion in the vertical direction of the rectangular portion, and the outer die of the horizontal cross section immediately below the collar body. Has a circular shape, and the outer die of the horizontal cross section at the lower portion in the vertical direction of the circular portion has a rectangular shape having sides parallel to the rectangular portion.

In a second main invention, an outer die of a horizontal cross section near the upper end has a rectangular shape, and a collar body is formed at a lower portion in the vertical direction of the rectangular portion, and the horizontal cross section immediately below the collar body. Is a cuvette carrier having an outer mold of a circular shape, wherein a pair of upper holding arms extending linearly in the horizontal direction for holding the rectangular portion of the cuvette from the horizontal direction, and the circular shape of the cuvette. The holding part is provided with a pair of lower holding arms for holding the part from the horizontal direction, the holding part being bent or curved inward and extending in the horizontal direction.

A third main invention is that at least a part of the liquid for accommodating a liquid is stored in the interior thereof, and a measuring ray is irradiated from a direction intersecting a vertical axis in a use state to measure a characteristic of the liquid. A cuvette transporting device having a rectangular outer cross section in a horizontal direction, comprising container holding means for holding the cuvette in a loosely fitted state and revolving around a certain rotation center, and a rectangular portion of the cuvette being revolved. It is characterized in that it is provided with a posture regulating means which slidably contacts with and regulates the posture of the cuvette.

[0020]

In the first main invention, the outer die of the horizontal cross section near the upper end has a rectangular shape, and the collar body is formed at the lower portion in the vertical direction of the rectangular portion, and the horizontal cross section immediately below the collar body. The outer die has a circular shape, and the outer die having a horizontal cross section at the lower portion in the vertical direction of the circular portion has a rectangular shape having sides parallel to the rectangular portion. Therefore, by sandwiching the rectangular portion near the upper end with the sandwiching member, the cuvette maintains a predetermined posture without rotating.

In the second main invention, a pair of upper holding arms extending linearly in the horizontal direction for holding the rectangular portion of the cuvette from the horizontal direction, and the circular portion of the cuvette from the horizontal direction. The holding part is provided with a pair of lower holding arms that bend or bend inward and extend in the horizontal direction, so that when the upper holding arm holds the rectangular part of the cuvette, the cuvette rotates. Without holding the predetermined posture and holding the circular portion of the cuvette by the lower holding arm, the cuvette becomes difficult to separate from the holding portion. Therefore, the cuvette can be reliably sandwiched while maintaining a predetermined posture.

In the third main invention, the container holding means for holding the cuvette in a loosely fitted state and revolving around a certain rotation center and the posture of the cuvette by sliding contact with the rectangular part of the cuvette being revolved. Since the attitude defining means for defining is provided, the cuvette is appropriately rotated in the container holding means by the attitude defining means slidingly contacting the rectangular part of the cuvette, and the plane of the rectangular part serves as the attitude defining means. You will be in contact with them and maintain a familiar posture.

[0023]

1 to 5 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a first and second cuvette transporting device, FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a cuvette, and FIG. 3 is a second external view. FIG. 4 is a partial sectional side view of the cuvette carrier, FIG. 4 is a partial sectional front view of the second cuvette carrier, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the second cuvette carrier.

In these figures, the same parts as those in FIGS. 6 and 7 showing the prior art are designated by the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 2, the cuvette 1 has a rectangular outer die in a horizontal cross section near the upper end thereof, and a circular collar body 2 is formed in a vertically lower portion of the upper rectangular portion 17. A portion having a predetermined size (about 1 cm) from directly below the collar body 2 has a circular outer die with a horizontal cross section, and the outer die with a horizontal cross section is provided at a lower portion in the vertical direction of the circular portion 18. A lower rectangular portion 19 having a side parallel to the upper rectangular portion 17 is formed.

The inner die has a circular shape from the upper rectangular portion 17 to the circular portion 18, and the inner die of the lower rectangular portion 19 has a rectangular shape in which each side is parallel to the outer die. That is, the inside has a cylindrical upper portion and the lower portion has a rectangular tube shape. The inner die of the upper rectangular portion 17 may have a rectangular shape like the outer die. In this case, the thickness of the upper rectangular portion 17 becomes uniform, so that distortion during resin molding can be suppressed.

In FIG. 5, the second cuvette transporting device is similar to the conventional device in that the chute 3 for transferring the cuvettes 1 ... In a single line in a hanging state and the cuvettes 1 ... Positioning machine 4
And is constituted by.

The positioner 4 is provided with a cylindrical space 5 in which a rotary body 8 having two circular plates 6 and 7 arranged in parallel is rotatably inserted. Has been done.

Three circular recesses 9 ..., 20 ... Are provided at equal intervals on the disks 6, 7 at common positions around them. The recesses 9 and 20 are set so that the width thereof is slightly larger than the diameter of the circular portion 18 of the cuvette 1 and slightly smaller than the diameter of the collar portion 2. The number of the arc-shaped recesses 9 ... May be three or more or less.

The positioning machine 4 has a motor 10 at the bottom.
Is provided, and the rotating shaft 11 of the motor 10 is fixedly installed in the lower center of the rotating body 8.
Is configured to be rotated clockwise in the figure. Therefore, when the motor 10 rotates, the cuvette 1 slipped off the chute 4 and supplied, is inserted horizontally into the recesses 9 and 20 of the discs 6 and 7, and is loosely fitted into the recesses 9 and 20. In this state, part of the periphery of the center of the rotary body 8 is revolved.

At the outlet of the cuvette 1, there is provided a bottom guide 12 which is inclined upward from the lower end for pushing the cuvette 1 upward, and
Side guides 14 and 21 slidingly contacting the peripheral side of the cuvette 1.
However, it is provided at a position sandwiching the lower disc 6 from above and below.

By the way, the shape of the lower side guide 21 of the side guides 14 and 21 is different from that of the side guide 13 of the conventional apparatus. That is, as is clear from FIGS. 4 and 5, the lower side guide 21 is wide,
The sliding contact portion with the cuvette 1 is located slightly inside (the side near the cuvette 1) of the passage through which the cuvette 1 passes, and the sliding contact portion of the lower side guide 21 is the cuvette 1.
It is configured so as to be in sliding contact with the lower rectangular portion 19 of.

As shown in FIG. 5, a taper portion 21a for guiding the cuvette 1 is formed at the introduction portion of the lower side guide 21. Reference numeral 15 is a microswitch for detecting the cuvette 1, and 16 is its actuator.

As described above, the cuvettes 1, which have been continuously transferred from the chute 3 in one row, are separated one by one in the recesses 9 of the disks 6 and 7 of the rotor 8 in the horizontal direction. When the rotary body 8 is inserted into the cuvette 1, the cuvette 1 revolves around the center of the rotary body 8 together with the disks 6 and 7.

Then, the cuvette 1 is attached to the side guide 1
When it reaches the sliding contact position with Nos. 4 and 21, first, the lower rectangular portion 19 of the cuvette 1 makes sliding contact with the taper 21a of the lower side guide 21, as shown in FIG. Since it is held loosely in the recesses 9 and 20, it rotates properly in the recesses 9 and 20, and becomes stable when the lower rectangular portion 19 is in contact with the side guides 21. The part 19 has a lower side guide 21.
The abutting straight portion 21b is maintained and the familiar posture is maintained.

The cuvette 1 has the side guides 14, 2
At the same time when it comes to the sliding contact position with 1, the bottom portion thereof arrives on the bottom guide 12, and the outer bottom portion thereof slides on the bottom guide 12 and is pushed upward.

That is, the cuvette 1 has a lower rectangular portion 1
The plane of 9 is guided in a state in which the plane is parallel to the straight portion 21b of the side guide 21 as the posture defining means, and is separated from the recesses 9 and 20 of the disks 6 and 7.

Next, the second cuvette transport device will be described with reference to FIG. For clamping the upper rectangular portion 17 of the cuvette 1 from the horizontal direction, a pair of upper clamping arms 23, 23 extending linearly in the horizontal direction and the circular portion 18 of the cuvette 1 from the horizontal direction. ,
A chucking finger including a pair of lower holding arms 24, 24 having a holding portion curved inward and extending in the horizontal direction is attached to a drive body 25 fixed to a drive device (not shown).

One upper holding arm 23 and one lower holding arm 24 are integrally formed, and the other upper holding arm 23 and the other lower holding arm 24 are also integrally formed, and a tension coil is provided between them. The spring 26 is stretched. Therefore, one upper holding arm 23 and one lower holding arm 24 are elastically pressed against the other upper holding arm 23 and the other lower holding arm 24.

The distance between the upper holding arms 23, 23 and the lower holding arms 24, 24 is set to be slightly larger than the thickness of the collar body 2.
And the lower clamping arms 24, 24 clamp the collar body 2 from above and below, and the upper clamping arms 23, 23 clamp the cuvette 1
The upper rectangular portion 17 is sandwiched in the horizontal direction, and the circular portion 18 directly below the collar body 2 is sandwiched in the horizontal direction by the lower sandwiching arms 24, 24.

Therefore, when the chucking fingers 23, 23, 24, 24 are moved in the horizontal direction with respect to the cuvette 1 whose posture is controlled by the positioner 4 and which slightly projects upward, the cuvette 1 is moved. It is held and conveyed in a predetermined posture without rotating.

Incidentally, for example, the cuvette 1 has a posture in which the corner portion 22 (see FIG. 2) of the upper rectangular portion 17 of the cuvette 1 is in contact with the inner plane of the upper holding arms 23, 23 (the upper rectangular portion 17).
When the upper holding arms 23, 23 are moved in a horizontal direction, the tip portions of the upper holding arms 23, 23 come into contact with the corners 22 when the upper holding arms 23, 23 are horizontally moved. However, the upper holding arms 23, 23 are widely separated from each other against the elastic reaction force of the tension coil spring 26.

Then, both upper holding arms 23, 23
Of the cuvette 1 in such a state that the cuvette 1 is greatly expanded outwardly and the corner portion 22 of the cuvette 1 having a small contact area is sandwiched in such a state, and the cuvette 1 is in an extremely unstable state (a state in which it easily rotates). ), It will be clamped by both clamping arms 23, 23.

Therefore, the cuvette 1 inevitably rotates, the inner planes of the upper holding arms 23, 23 become parallel to the side planes of the upper rectangular portion 17 of the cuvette 1, and the cuvette 1 in such a stable posture. The upper rectangular portion 17 is clamped by both upper clamping arms 23, 23.

As described above, in the second cuvette carrier, even when the cuvette 1 is not in the predetermined posture, the cuvette 1 is forcibly rotated to the predetermined posture when sandwiched. can do.

[0046]

According to the first main aspect of the invention, the outer mold has a rectangular portion, and the rectangular portion is sandwiched so that the cuvette can be held in a predetermined posture. Therefore, it is possible to convey the cuvette to the measuring device in a proper posture without rotating the cuvette.

In the second main invention, since the upper holding arm having a straight shape and the lower holding arm whose holding portion is bent or curved inward are provided, when the rectangular portion of the cuvette is held by the upper holding arm. The cuvette maintains a predetermined posture without rotating, and the lower clamping arm clamps the circular portion of the cuvette, so that the cuvette becomes difficult to separate from the clamping part. Further, even a cuvette that is not supplied in a predetermined posture can be clamped in a predetermined posture. Therefore, the cuvette can be reliably sandwiched while maintaining a predetermined posture.

In the third main aspect of the invention, since the attitude defining means for holding the cuvette in the loosely fitted state and defining the attitude of the cuvette is provided, the attitude defining means slides on the rectangular portion of the cuvette. The flat surface of the rectangular portion comes into contact with the posture defining means to maintain the familiar posture. Therefore, the cuvette is always kept in a predetermined posture.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of first and second cuvette transport devices according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a cuvette according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional side view of a second cuvette transport device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partially sectional front view of a second cuvette transport device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a second cuvette transport device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a conventional cuvette transport device.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a conventional cuvette transport device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Cuvette 2 Collar 3 Chute 4 Positioner 5 Space 6 Disc 7 Disc 8 Rotator 9 Recess 10 Motor 11 Rotating shaft 12 Bottom guide 13 Side guide 14 Side guide 15 Micro switch 16 Actuator 17 Upper rectangular part 18 circular part 19 lower rectangular part 20 recess 21 lower side guide 21a tapered part 21b straight part 22 corner 23 upper clamping arm 24 lower clamping arm 25 drive body 26 tension coil spring

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A liquid is stored inside, and a measuring light beam is emitted from a direction intersecting a vertical axis in a use state,
A transparent cuvette for measuring the characteristics of the liquid, wherein the outer die of the horizontal cross section near the upper end has a rectangular shape, and a collar body is formed in the vertically lower portion of the rectangular portion, A cuvette characterized in that an outer die having a horizontal cross section immediately below has a circular shape, and an outer die having a horizontal cross section at a lower portion in the vertical direction of the circular portion has a rectangular shape having sides parallel to the rectangular portion. 2. The inner mold of the circular part has a circular shape, and the inner mold of the lower rectangular part has a rectangular shape in which each side is parallel to the outer mold.
The stated cuvette. 3. An outer die having a horizontal cross section near the upper end has a rectangular shape, and a collar body is formed at a lower portion in the vertical direction of the rectangular portion, and an outer die having a horizontal cross section directly below the collar body has a circular shape. The present invention is a cuvette conveying device, wherein a pair of upper clamping arms extending in a straight line in the horizontal direction for clamping the rectangular part of the cuvette from the horizontal direction and a circular part of the cuvette from the horizontal direction. A cuvette transporting device, comprising: a pair of lower holding arms that are bent or curved inwardly and that extend in the horizontal direction. 4. The cuvette transfer device according to claim 3, wherein the upper holding arm and the lower holding arm are configured to integrally open and close elastically. 5. A liquid is stored inside, and a measuring light beam is emitted from a direction intersecting a vertical axis in a use state.
A cuvette transfer device for measuring characteristics of the liquid, wherein at least a part of a horizontal cross-section of the outer mold has a rectangular shape, and the cuvette is held in a loosely fitted state and revolves around a certain rotation center. A cuvette transporting device comprising: a container holding means for causing the cuvette to rotate; and a posture defining means for slidably contacting a rectangular portion of the cuvette that is revolving to regulate the posture of the cuvette.